NEW YORK: Israel’s prime minister on Wednesday cited US-mediated efforts to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia and said the Middle East is “on the threshold of historic peace.”
Speaking at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel and Saudi Arabia have made a “dramatic breakthrough” that will not only establish peace between the two countries but also “transform” the entire region and create a “new Middle East.” ”, he said.
He continued: “Such a peace would go a long way toward ending the Arab-Israeli conflict, support normalization of relations between Israel and other Arab states, and also improve prospects for peace with the Palestinians.”
If a deal is reached, it would build on the Abraham Accords signed in 2020 between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
Speaking two days after meeting with US President Joe Biden in New York, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the Biden administration could forge a deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia, just as the Trump administration facilitated the Abraham Accords. He said he felt it.
He continued: “The Abraham Accords were a turning point in history, and now we are seeing the benefits. It is booming, with cooperation taking place in many areas.”
“At the G20 summit, President Biden, Prime Minister (Indian) Narendra Modi, and European and Arab leaders announced plans for a visionary corridor that would cross the Arabian Peninsula and extend into Israel.”
“India and Europe will be connected via maritime transport, rail, energy pipelines and fiber optic cables. This corridor will bypass maritime checkpoints and choke points, dramatically lowering the cost of goods, communications and energy. and more than 2 billion people will benefit.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu, however, said that Iran continues to invest large sums of money in its military and strives to expand its influence around the world, adding that recent developments are “a fly in the ointment. He warned that it could be ruined by “an idiomatic phrase meaning something that ruins something”.
He continued: “The international community is largely indifferent to Iran’s aggression. Also, Western countries have promised to reinstate sanctions if Iran violates the nuclear deal, but they have not done so.”
“Although Iran has violated the nuclear deal, sanctions designed to thwart the country’s nuclear ambitions have not been reimposed.”
“This policy has to change. We have to reinstate sanctions and, above all, we have to force Iran to face a real nuclear threat.”